Archives for July 2015

Last month there were so many animal events going on in Austin that I could barely keep my head on straight! There were also a lot of vegan events, so as you can imagine, I felt like a kid on Christmas – if Christmas was in June and lasted the entire month. 🎁🎄

Since I’m really busy this week working on a film job, I thought I would just post some of my favorite pictures from a couple of those events. Scroll down to see cute pitties, delicious vegan food, and some of the fun happenings that make Austin such a cool city.

Weekly Reunion Rescue @ Spiderhouse

Reunion Rescue is a local pitbull rescue group and founder Cindy sets up camp at a popular coffeehouse near the University of Texas to educate people, get donations to help the dogs, and most importantly, get them adopted! On the particular day that I showed up, there were 3 adorable pitbulls with Cindy, all looking for their forever homes.

Meet Amber and her cute nose:

As you can see above, Amber was an abuse case and most likely had acid or something similar poured over her head. Yet when I met her, she was as sweet as could be and loves children!

Okay, I’m not going to lie, these scones don’t photograph very well. Luckily, they taste amazing and pictures just don’t do them justice. First off, you’re probably noticing the dark pink color – you can thank roasted beets for that. And now you might be thinking Wait, beets? Those don’t belong anywhere near scones, especially chocolate chip scones. Well friends, I beet (I mean bet, see what I did there?) you will love these! If you’re still on the fence, hop over and take a look at these Fudgy Vegan Beet Cupcakes and you might change your mind about this versatile root vegetable. In fact, beets are incredibly nutritious and what better way to increase your veggie intake than through scones and cupcakes? Dream come true. Plus, these would make a great Valentine’s Day treat!

*If you aren’t a huge scone lover like me, you can easily make these into lovely pink cookies*

Here’s my beet after I wrapped it tightly in foil and roasted it in the oven at 375 degrees for about an hour. It turns a deep, rich purple color. You want it to be fork tender.

With all of the rain in central Texas these past few months, I ALMOST forgot it was summer. It hasn’t been it’s usual scorching self. And then my mom sent me some popsicle molds in my birthday package a few weeks ago and I finally got to use them this weekend – and oh yeah, it’s summer! Nothing screams summer like nice cold popsicles. But these are special popsicles. They are magical raw vegan popsicles. The coconut base is rich and creamy paired with frozen berries and fresh herbs. Toss in a little raw sugar to sweeten the deal and you’ve got homemade popsicles that are way better than anything store bought!

This is my new go-to dish. I love it so much. The popcorn chikin is crunchy, the sauteed veggies are savory, the sauce is tangy, the nutritional yeast gives it a hint of cheesiness, and I wash it all down with a refreshing glass of apple cider soda (recipe below). It’s really perfect. I think I could eat it everyday. Plus, the tofu really looks like a chicken nugget on the inside!

All right, so I must admit that this post is less about vegan and more about women. But there is a vegan connection that I will explain below! This museum is one of my favorite places in Austin because it combines some of my most beloved things all in one place: history, art, nature, and independent women. It’s the original studio that Elisabet Ney designed herself in 1892 and named Formosa (Portuguese for “beautiful island”), after her previous home in Madeira.

Ney was born in Germany in 1833. She was the first female sculpture student at the all-male Munich Academy of Art (you go girl). After graduating she moved to Berlin and sculpted portraits for several famous Europeans, including Jacob Grimm (of the Grimm Brothers), philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, Italian military leader Giuseppe Garibaldi, King George V of Hanover, and Ludwig II of Bavaria.

She married Scottish medical student Edmund Montgomery, however, she refused to take his name and often denied even being married (!). She and Edmund immigrated to the United States and eventually settled down in Texas. They purchased a plantation near Houston, but Elisabet decided to build her own studio in Austin, where she lived & worked and occasionally went back to the plantation to see her husband. She had two sons, one whom died very young, and another who is rumored to have joined Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough-riders.

HEY THERE! I’M JILLIAN.

I live along the border of Mexico in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and create cruelty-free recipes that are delicious! I'm here to show you that it's easy to follow a plant based lifestyle. Not only are the health and beauty benefits noticeable, but it creates a more sustainable planet and keeps our animal friends safe & happy. I also love books, music, dark chocolate, and the great outdoors. LEARN MORE…

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